Chicago’s mayor sees through the fog on school autonomy
In politics, there is nothing like a hard knock to focus the mind. Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel tells how this happened for him. In The Atlantic, Emanuel describes himself as once a believer in teacher-focused reforms, particularly test-based accountability. But in the middle of a bruising teacher strike, he had a moment of clarity. “The autonomy […]
How a proposal for flexible funding can help families close the enrichment gap
In education policy debates, we often talk about inequality as if it was primarily driven by learning that happens—or doesn’t happen—in schools. But out-of-school learning matters too. Sports and recreational programs can cultivate teamwork, passion, and grit. Music and art lessons can help develop tolerance and empathy. Museum and theater trips can boost academic achievement […]
The Future of School Choice Isn’t About Schools — It’s About Learning Opportunities
National School Choice Week is a time for advocates of school choice to celebrate. I see it as an opportunity to reflect and think about what needs to come next. This year, we at the Center on Reinventing Public Education are celebrating our 25th anniversary. Since 1994, we have posited and tested ways to allow […]
Teacher Strikes Elevate Billionaires and Privatization as Enemies of Convenience
The rhetoric of teacher strikes in Los Angeles, likely coming to a town near you, has familiar elements and fantasy ones. Along with well-founded messages about higher wages and more support for schools, unions campaign against privatization and billionaire takeover of schools, two events that exist mostly in their message gurus’ imagination. True, in many […]
Trust, Autonomy, Achievement Gap — 3 Areas Where Ferebee’s Work in Indianapolis Could Help Him Succeed as D.C. Chancellor
It’s perhaps no surprise that Mayor Muriel Bowser selected Lewis Ferebee to be the next chancellor of D.C. Public Schools. His work at Indianapolis Public Schools made him a rising star nationally. His five-year tenure (above average for urban superintendents) saw a reorganization of the central office to support school transformation and the growth of […]
The Year of Thinking Forward
In 2018 CRPE celebrated an important milestone, marking 25 years of ideas, evidence, and impact. This year we look forward to translating our newest ideas into action. We’re working on a round of cutting-edge research projects exploring issues like special education, career pathways, and new efforts to customize learning. We’ll continue to help policymakers and […]
Ratchet Effect: The Continuous Evolution of the Portfolio Strategy
The portfolio strategy has driven real improvement in urban K–12 school systems over the past 10 years. Results in Chicago, New Orleans, and New York City have been strong, and portfolio has started to reverse the decline of poverty-ridden cities like Camden, Cleveland, and Indianapolis. But progress is now uncertain, given changes in governorships and […]
How to Ensure New Post-Secondary Pathways Don’t Become “Tracks”
In a recent New York Times column, Oren Cass of the Manhattan Institute argues persuasively that America invests too much money in an assumption that every student is bound for college—and far too little in other educational paths that might stand a better chance at propelling more students to fulfilling lives and remunerative careers. Cass […]
Tossing Aside the “Reform” Label Must Not Mean “Anything Goes”
As Robin Lake recently observed, it is time to move past the phrase “education reformer.” In a curious linguistic twist, over the past decade, opponents of transformational change have co-opted the word “reform” and essentially converted it into a malediction. I say “curious” because it is difficult to imagine the logic of turning “reformer” into […]
Don’t Call Me an Education Reformer — I Don’t Know What That Means Anymore
Don’t call me an education reformer. I’m not interested in debating reformers’ beliefs, who is a reformer or who is not. I’m not interested in responding to blanket accusations about reformers’ intentions, or joining forces with the think-tank types who wish to defend them. This might seem odd coming from someone who leads an organization […]
